Talenduil Layenell

[salientshade]

Talenduil Layenell opens his eyes and glances around himself. My blade.. My armor.. "Those bastards," he almost growls the words. A cell? Where am I? Those mind-flayers...I must escape. The elf desperately looks around the cell for some possible way out. Walls… the door! He rushes to the door of the small cell and begins to bang, and even punch, it repeatedly. I am one of the strongest elves I have ever known of.. I can do this. Wounds cover the elf's body, but he continues to beat at the door, and with one last mighty punch he accepts failure, slowly dropping his bloody knuckles from the door. Not strong enough.. Not... Strong... Enough!! "RRRAAAAGGGHHH!!!" He screams out in frustration and drops to his knees, his thoughts swimming in circles as he realizes the utter helplessness of his situation. I can do nothing.. Suddenly his mind is filled with visions of Corellon Larethian, his deity, then he speaks as if in realization, "Only Corellon can save me now."

He staggers back against the door as an illithid appears in his cell with two large beholders at his sides. Talenduil hears the illithid's thoughts. <The council has swiftly decided your fate. Your memory is to be completely erased.>

"What?! You damn fiend!" cries Talenduil, ready to strike in a last attempt to survive or escape.

<You will be killed and made a servant of the Dominion if you resist> calmly thinks the illithid to Talenduil.

"Damnit," breathes Talenduil as his body begins to shake with rage.

The illithid approaches the elf with a small crystal in hand. Talenduil closes his eyes, clenches his fist, and begins to once again think of Corellon Larethian as he feels something pressed against his forehead.

The elf blacks out and falls to the stone floor.

[salientshade]

The elf awakens and rises quickly, leaning against a large boulder that sits behind where he found himself. He tries to survey his surroundings but fails, his vision blurred. He lowers his head into his hands and leans back trying to orient himself with his surroundings. Who are these voices?.. What is this pain?.............Why can’t I remember anything? A soothing voice speaks in elven, “Easy there, sit down, you need rest.” Sit? The elf nods to himself and slides down the boulder into a sitting position with his back resting against the rock. The others' voices are incomprehensible as the female elf speaks again in elven, “We are not your enemies. Fear not.” The words consume him with comfort and ease his mind slightly as his breathing slows and his wounds seem to have been tended. A forest suddenly appears around the elf as well as a human, a half-elf, and an elven woman. The elf takes all of this in slowly and curiously as his vision comes back into focus.

Later that day the other elf agrees to show Badger Tallsprouts, the name given to him by the Great One, a treant, to Suzail in the morning. Perhaps in this large capital city Badger could be found by one of his lost acquaintances.

During the night, Badger, with great care and amazement, slowly examines his belongings. The moonlight shining through the trees offers the elf little aid in his endeavor to find something familiar. It was clear to the others that day that he was a warrior, but not a very common one. The two-bladed sword strapped across his back was a rare weapon to be seen in battle, or so they told him. And yet, even though he could not remember ever wielding the blade, when he held it a great sense of control swept over him. Badger continued on, opening another of the magical pouches on his person. Once again he was saddened by his lack of remembrance.

[salientshade]

"And mine?" Badger asked, beginning to sound impatient. The robed elf had taken his time speaking with the druid Badger had met much earlier that day. Speak! thought Badger, a grin appearing on his face in anticipation of hearing his lost name. The robed elf turned to him and stated simply, "Talenduil Layenell." Finally... He smiled, being reunited with his elven name. For the first time since the loss of his memory, Talenduil felt somewhat content.

[salientshade]

Edit: (This jumps to a more recent part of Talenduil's past.. here's a little background: Talenduil has been away from Cormyr for at least a few months now.. perhaps you'll find out more later)

"Into Darkness"

Talenduil's heart pounded in his chest as he stood against the outer wall of the drow complex. Adrenaline rushed through his body, knowing that Elthranthir's light spell wouldn't last much longer on his amulet now hidden underneath the chest plate of his dragon armor. "Eighteen hours," the robed elf had told him. Though Talenduil had lost almost all track of time, he knew no more than three hours remained.

Talenduil had hardly a scratch from the five encounters with drow on his way to their city of Razorben, and yet, he felt the strains of battle saliently in his muscles. He squeezed his eyes shut for only a moment, allowing his breathing to relax. Thinking back to the promise he made, Talenduil was ready to resume his task.

Talenduil was far away from anything remotely familiar to his daily life. Here in the Underdark he had to rethink his battle tactics.. or did he? Talenduil had never been known for subtlety. Charging in head first with his two-bladed sword soaring through the air.. it was these times that Talenduil felt most comfortable with battle. Now, deep in the Underdark, Talenduil wasn't about to give the drow time to react. Obviously they would see him coming first, but with the glare from the light spell and the unorthodox style of this insane elf, Talenduil had made amazing progress. After all, many had doubted the rage driven elf would ever reach the drow city. With the many faint purple lights glowing about the enormous cavern that Talenduil had entered only moments before, he knew where he was.

It was time. The surface elf pulled his cloak tight about his body and was ready to enter the city.

With more than a few drow patrols now dead, Talenduil knew the city would soon become aware... only adding more pressure to the already burdened elf. Looks clear. He swiftly slipped around the outer wall. Hells, I can't see a damn thing. Talenduil quickly noticed the faint purple glow of the city had suddenly faded.

A globe of darkness! The double-bladed sword flew off of Talenduil's back as he stepped back against the outer wall, twirling the weapon through the air at almost all possible angles for an attack to come at him. CLANG!! There! Talenduil twirled his blade about at the other weapon, once, twice. Good enough. The surface elf pulled back at one side of the spinning double-blade for just an instance, and then struck forward with the other end with all of his might. A satisfied smirk crossed Talenduil's face as he heard a heavy grunt from the pierced drow.

Talenduil took a few quick steps out of the darkness, his eyes readjusting to the normal darkness and glow of the purple light, giving him almost no vision, and yet, it was something.

He saw no others. Hoping the drow had been alone, Talenduil continued into the city.

[salientshade]

(Into Darkness continued)

So few drow. Talenduil looked about madly expecting an ambush. Nothing. He already passed what looked to be a lower end of the drow houses in the city. Approaching the next house, the surface elf spotted a group of minotaurs chained in front. One of the minotaurs was bleeding from a mortal wound, the other was already dead, lying in a pool of his own blood. A punishment? He shook his head, disgusted at the display.

Talenduil's ears tingled as he suddenly heard sounds of battle further into the city. He had heard about the house wars that took place among drow society. Reaching to his neck excitedly, he pulled out his crescent moon amulet. The bright light blinded him and flashed across the cavern as he quickly kissed the amulet and tucked it back away. Oops. Talenduil was not about to wait and see who saw the light. He pulled his cloak tight about himself and quickly took off down the cavern.

Fifth house to the right. Talenduil would never forget. Rage re-entered his system. He became consumed by its presence. His pace picked up. He ran faster.. and faster, the boots of his red dragon armor crashing into the ground with each step.

[salientshade]

(Into Darkness Continued)

His gaze focused on the drow house ahead. The two drow guards in front stood idle, looking off towards the occuring battle. The house was more like a castle by human standards. At least a few hundred beings resided within the walls surrounding the building. Lucky for Talenduil, there were fewer residents home this night.

The left guard turned, speaking casually with the other to his right. Talenduil was closing in fast. Both drow had scimitars hanging from their belts, leaning casually against the wall next to their shields. A secure feeling hung about them, likely from the ensuing conflict... a horrible mistake.

Finally, the left guard caught a glimpse of Talenduil. This was of no aid to his companion. The confused drow spun around unarmed to face the bite of Talenduil's two-bladed sword. Talenduil slashed the drow across his exposed neck with the right end of his double-blade, freeing his red life force from it's cage. The injured dark elf dropped to his knees about to die. Near him, the other was now armed. Desperately the drow twirled the scimitar at his new enemy. The light was too dim for the surface elf. Talenduil lunged forward, underneath the path of the missle, keeping his blade between the grip of his fingers. He held his sword horizontally as he rolled and stood instantly, bringing a fierce fury of swings at the amazed drow.

[salientshade]

(Into Darkness continued)

With his path now clear, Talenduil swiftly turned from the dying dark elves to face the drow house. The elf's keen ears suddenly heard a faint clicking noise. Drow crossbows and their poison darts. Talenduil quickly grabbed his enchanted cloak, making a shield around himself, and began charging straight for the main entrance.

The courtyard held an abundance of other races the drow used as slaves and combat fodder. Goblins squealed as the covered figure ran into their sights. A whip wielding drow jumped into their ranks and began shouting for the vermin to attack.

His cloak was now lined with poison darts, as Talenduil heard the goblins attempting to organize a bloackade to halt his advance.
Talenduil peeked around his cloak, noticing he was almost underneath the upper level where the poison darts were being fired. He took his blade and with one swift stroke, knocked the darts out. Dropping his cloak, he narrowed his eyes at the goblins who now stood in his way.

Never slowing, the elf plunged the left point of his double-blade into the first goblin brave enough to attempt a blow. The goblins could not begin to match this surface elf's speed. Talenduil pulled his blade back out of the pierced goblin as he used the other point to repeat this action to the next goblin in his way. Too many.. time to get messy. Talenduil whirled his sword about, swinging the injured goblin into a comrade. His double-blade began slashing any nearby goblins repeatedly, deflecting their pathetic swings in its wake.

Scores of goblins were surrounding him, throwing away their lives with their pitiful strikes, knowing a death by this aggressor could prove more merciful than the abuse endured from their current masters.

One last line of goblins remained between him and the door. Finishing off one more, Talenduil leaped over the short creatures. He paused only briefly, turning to face the goblins, wide-eyed with fear.. as if to say, "I dare you to follow me"... then he continued into the house at a slower pace to catch his breath.